Hand hygiene key to infection control

LONDON — After the booming sales of hand hygiene products in 2008–2009, volume sales plummeted in 2009–2010, before gradually recovering, according to a press release.

The hand hygiene market has expanded to include hand hygiene compliance monitoring technologies that, while still emerging, offer promising growth opportunities for companies in the infection control industry, the release stated.

According to the release, new analysis from Frost & Sullivan finds that the Western European hand hygiene market earned revenue of $271.3 million in 2010 and estimates this to reach $446.9 million in 2017.

Since improved compliance in hand hygiene, with the proper use of alcohol-based hand rubs, can reduce nosocomial infection rates by approximately 40 percent, the need for reduction in the incidence of nosocomial infections is a major driver in the growth of the hand hygiene market, the release added.

"Hand hygiene compliance has never been 100 percent," said Beulah Devadason.

"This, together with the fact that hand hygiene compliance monitoring as well as healthcare-acquired infection (HCAI) incidence reporting is yet to be standardized across the European Union, is making it difficult for manufacturers to prove the quantifiable return on investment for an effective hand hygiene program," Devadason added.